Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators

Amanda is interested in creating for you a book cover or series of narrative illustrations that support the character and story. She has been an Art Director herself and understands the importance of incorporating feedback and revisions to reach the ideal image. 

Favorite subjects to illustrate: Kids as heroes, dinosaurs, dragons, dwarves, seahorses, bugs, horses (winged or uni-horned), saturniid moths, castles, carnivorous plants, elves, mangroves, pirates, and other unique and extraordinary characters.  

Amanda works with publishing houses, independent authors, non-profit and for-profit organizations, institutions, teachers, biologists, and various other magical creatures.

Amanda Zimmerman

54 Independence Dr, New Freedom, PA 17349 · 412.398.1999 (cell) 

sal.amandaz42@gmail.com· www.salamandaart.com

Commission Highlights

Johnny Wood – Cave Book

• Working from authors roughs, illustrated 32 page book illustrations for book. 
• Used Adobe InDesign to paginate book and ensure path through cave lined up at page breaks.

Jasmine Cibic – Flower Effect art installation

• Working from brief, researched and illustrated two hybrid roses for overseas art installation. 

Bonnie Fladung, The Elephant Euphonium

• Designed cover and layout for Bonnie’s 32 page children’s picture book.
• Utilized existing illustrations and created 7 thumbnail ideas for new illustrations.

Futurewise 

• Created 35 dynamic visual illustrations (watercolor and pen and ink) for stormwater management
  “toolkit” for suburban communities
• Worked from concepts, researched reference materials and presented thumbnails and line drawings for approval.

Jasmine Cibic – Situation Anophthalmus art installation

• Working from brief, researched and illustrated blind cave beetle for overseas art installation. 

Touchstone Center for the Arts 

• Artist in Residency 2016 

Dr. Sandra Olsen, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Anthropology Department

• Created a series of digital pen and ink illustrations based on petroglyph sites in Saudi Arabia.
   Published in Stories in the Rocks, exploring Saudi Arabian Rock Art. 

Dr. Tim Pearce, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Mollusk Department

• Created pen and ink illustrations of mollusks, snails and collecting tools that were published in 
  The Mollusks: A Guide to Their Study, Collection, and Preservation

Frances Stewart Todd

• Wedding Poem watercolor

Lee Bryan

• Tropical Fish illustration

Dan Zimmerman, Promotional Manager, WUTV

• WB Kids Activity Fun Book

Gallery Shows and Exhibitions

• Village Coffee and Cream, current

• SoMe Artisan Shop, 2017

• Saxonburg Artist Coop, 2013, 2014, 2015 

• 2014, 2015 National Aviary Show Wings and Wildlife

• 2014 Beautiful Maryland Exhibit

• 2014 Sirens and Seahorses Shoebox Factory Art Coop Show

• 2012 Focus on Nature XII exhibit hosted by the New York State Museum 

• 2012 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Annual Exhibit 

• 2011 Reflections: Homage to Dunkard Creek, traveling Exhibit

• 2011 Red Brick Gallery: All Creatures Great and Small, solo show

• 2010 Imagebox Gallery: She Sketches Seahorses Educational Exhibit

Talks and Lectures

• 2010Losing Paradise exhibit, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Scientific illustration demonstrations (both traditional and digital)

• 2016 Biophila Talk, Phipps Conservatory

• 2011 and 2012 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Conferences 

                Guest workshop speaker

Education

• Associates Degree in Visual Communications, full scholarship
• Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Botanical Illustration Certification Program

Affiliations/Involvements

• Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) 
• Guild of Science Illustrators member, 2009 – 2018
• 2017, 2018 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Annual Conference, Graphic Designer